Bell 525 Continues to Move Forward

By Staff Writer | February 28, 2014

Offshore

As hundreds of attendees gathered at Bell Helicopter’s booth at Heli-Expo, the company shared recent updates alongside a full-size mockup of the Bell 525 Relentless newly configured for search and rescue (SAR) missions.

“With the Bell 525 Relentless we are delivering a generational shift in pilot situational awareness, maintainability and safety,” said Bell Helicopter President and CEO John Garrison. “This new generation is rapidly becoming a reality as we are hitting a number of milestones – including extensive testing in our systems integration lab, the production of thousands of parts and the construction of our 525 assembly facility in Amarillo. Right now, we are on course for the first flight of the Bell 525 late this year with two aircraft already in assembly.”

Garrison also spoke to the updated performance specifications based on program progress and testing. Testing is underway in Bell Helicopter’s fully integrated System Integration Lab (SIL), allowing for virtual flight testing of the Bell 525. The aircraft is capable of carrying more than 16 passengers for 250 nautical miles and more than 8 passengers for 500 nautical miles.